Glorioso Viet Nam

Annotation — Puerto Rican Songs

Andres Jimenez, born 3 July 1947 in Orocovis, Puerto Rico released the song "Glorioso Viet Nam" ("Glorious Viet Nam") (Nuevo Arte ‎# NA-010), a very interesting track that celebrated the victory of Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam over South Vietnam and the USA. Jimenez was drafted to fight in Vietnam and trained at Fort Hood, Texas, USA. He studio at the University of Porto Rico in San Juan, where he started to view the US role in Vietnam, and Porto Rico, as "imperialism". He strongly supported independence for Porto Rico. The song celebrated the renaming of Saigon as Ho Chi Minh City, recalled the nationalists success against the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and claimed that "all over Indochina they're kicking the Yankee out". At the end of the song, he warned the US that they should not be surprised when Ponce and San Juan (major cities in Porto Rico) rise up to be independent. The song also appeared on the album Viva Puerto Rico Libre (below).

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Glorious Vietnam, your war has come to an end (2x) / And your capital, Saigon, is now called Ho Chi Minh. (2x) / You defeated France in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, (2x) / And Danang and Saigon were the Yankees' Waterloo. (2x) / Vietnam has won, and Cambodia too. (2x) / Van Thieu ran away from Saigon and Lon Nol from Pnom Penh. (2x) / Things are getting tougher in Laos and Thailand, (2x) / And all over Indochina they're kicking the Yankees out. (2x) / The Yankees ran like hell, (2x) / Leaving their flunkies to wait for planes. (2x) / They better learn the lesson of how Cambodia and Vietnam fell, (2x) / And friends, don't be surprised when Ponce and San Juan go too! (2x) / Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh! __________ Spanish: Glorioso Vietnam, tu guerra llegó a su fin (2x) / Y tu capital Saigón hoy se llama Ho Chi Minh. (2x) / Derrotastes a Francia en la batalla de Dien Bien Phu (2x) / Y West Danang y Saigón fue de los yanquis su Waterloo. (2x) / Ya triunfó Vietnam, Cambodia también, (2x) / Van Thieu huyó de Saigón, Lon Nol huyó de Pnom Penh. (2x) / Se complican las cosas allá en Laos Y Tailandia (2x) / Y de toda la Indochina, los yanquis cogen la juyilanga. (2x) / Salieron huyendo en precarias condiciones (2x) / Y dejaron los alcahuetes esperando los aviones. (2x) / Que se apliquen el cuento, cayó Cambodia y Vietnam, (2x) / Amigos, no se sorprendan cuando caigan Ponce y San Juan. (2x) / ¡Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh!

Notes

Nuevo Arte NA-010-A, "Seis Años de Canción (antología)", Andrés Jiménez "El Jíbaro", yellow label, estéreo; Lado A track 4: "Glorioso Viet Nam" (R. Hernández y A. Jiménez), taken from "Taoné en Cuba" (Cuba, 1972). A Nuevo Arte Inc. production for the Hermandad de Empleados Exentos No Docentes de la U.P.R.; cover design by Nelson Sambolín, photography by Jochi Melero. [From the record sleeve and labels] Also on the compilation Viva Puerto Rico Libre (Paredon P-1035, 1978).

About the artist

Andrés Jiménez - born 3 July 1947, Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Drafted and trained at Fort Hood, Texas; studied at the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.

Themes

Anti-Imperialism · Ho Chi Minh City · Battle of Dien Bien Phu · Fall of Saigon · Military

In collections

Puerto Rican Songs · US Military & Veteran Songs